The number one question I get from readers, friends, and family is “How do you do it?”… and by that they mean how do I throw dinner parties, keep a clean home, get dressed with makeup and ironed hair, and overall just seem to have it together when having a baby under the age of one and minimal help. Well, first let me say IT AIN’T EASY!!! Setting a table for a dinner party when you have a little nugget climbing up your leg, getting into dangerous shelves, or just whining for your attention can be stressful and difficult but I have found ways to persevere and get it all done! It starts with a relaxed positive attitude and some creativity along the way. So read along for some tips that have really worked to making me a successful hostess week after week!
My first trick to organizing my table and house for guests is coming up with a decor plan and literally speaking these ideas out loud to the baby. Example – “Reese, don’t you think beige linen napkins will look perfect on the table?” I will accentuate the word ‘beige’ like it’s a very exciting concept. Sometimes I even sing my ideas {good thing she is too young to notice I have a terrible voice}. I then walk around the house assessing my inventory while pointing to things along the way. Example – “I need 8 glasses, aren’t these pretty ‘1,2,3,4…’,” making it like a game. You are bound to get some giggles when you do a dance over how many knives and forks you need.
When safe, I totally get the baby in on the action. This day specifically I must have spent 15 minutes debating between napkin choices for my table so Reese had an absolute blast pulling the various options down off the shelf. In this instance who really cares that you have some extra napkins to re-fold once they are done destroying. In this case, this “playtime” in the napkin cabinet ended up distracting her for a full ten minutes allowing me to carry heavy plates and glasses over to the table uninterrupted. If you are cutting it close and the party starts in an hour, just shove the items back in the cabinet and re-fold/ organize in the morning! Remember it’s NO BIG DEAL!
The toughest part by far is when you get to the table and really need to focus… I have found that by calling Reese from chair to chair, it becomes like a fun game and even excercise! Example – “Crawl over here baby,” “Climb up on this chair baby”. I will make sure to peak at her from different sides of the table occasionally so she feels like it’s a game of peekaboo.
When the job is done, you need to give your baby some much deserved FULL ON ATTENTION for being so well behaved. That means put away the cell phone and go somewhere where THEY can have some fun. In this case I was in Miami {ugh – I miss that warm weather!!} so we went outside by the pool with some of Reese’s favorite toys. She was so thrilled to have some much focus on her… not to mention it totally wore her out so by bedtime she was ready to pass out!!
Lastly be smart about the time of your party! If baby’s bedtime is at 7:30, don’t even think about inviting guests over before 8:15. Post bed-time routine you will still want to clean up, freshen up your outfit, put on makeup, and get any finishing touches done! By the time your party starts, you want to be relaxed and ready to have some adult conversation because come morning, it’s back to the swing of it!!